Location/time-based reminder for personal electronic devices

Abstract

A system and method combines a positioning system, for example, the Navistar global positioning system (GPS), with a personal electronic device. The personal electronic device can be a PDA, or a mobile cellular phone, for example. The positioning system provides real-time location specific information that is converted into coordinates, such as latitude and longitude. The system and method of the present invention then references the location to a particular task stored in resident memory and activates a reminder which notifies the user of a particular task. This involves having the user input reminders which signal when the user is within a specified geographic area, or within a specified range which is in the resolution of the GPS.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments, the invention is now claimed to be:  
     
         1 . A portable electronic device, said portable electronic device comprising: 
 input/output means through which a user interacts with the device;    a task management application including a location-based reminder feature supported on the device, said task management application being engaged by the user via the input/output means to selectively create task entries and selectively set associated location-based reminders therefor; and,    positioning means for obtaining an actual location of the device;    wherein each set location-based reminder is triggered when a location designated therein substantially matches the actual location obtained by the positioning means.    
     
     
         2 . The portable electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein said device is selected from the group consisting of a PDA, a cellular telephone and a laptop computer.  
     
     
         3 . The portable electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein said positioning means includes a GPS receiver.  
     
     
         4 . The portable electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein said input/output means includes a touch screen display on which a GUI is supported.  
     
     
         5 . The portable electronic device according to  claim 4 , wherein a location is designated for each set location-based reminder by the user selecting a corresponding location on a map output to the touch screen display.  
     
     
         6 . The portable electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein triggered location-based reminders open the task entry associated therewith.  
     
     
         7 . The portable electronic device according to  claim 6 , wherein a snooze option is provided to the user when a location-based reminder is triggered, said snooze option when selected operating to reset the location based reminder such that it is again triggered when the actual location obtained by the positioning means again substantially matches the location designated in the based-based reminder.  
     
     
         8 . The portable electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein a tolerance parameter is set by the user to determine when the actual location obtained from the positioning means substantially matches the designated location of the location-based reminder.  
     
     
         9 . A method of managing tasks for an individual, said method comprising: 
 (a) scheduling a task for the individual;    (b) designating a location in which the task is to be carried out;    (c) determining an actual location of the individual;    (d) comparing the actual location to the designated location; and,    (e) reminding the individual of the scheduled task when the actual location substantially matches the designated location.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein step (c) is carried out using a GPS.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein step (a) is carried out on a portable electronic device.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said device is selected from the group consisting of a PDA, a cellular telephone and a laptop computer.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein step (e) comprises: 
 providing at least one of an audible, visual or tactile indication to the individual that their actual location substantially matches the designated location.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein step (b) comprises: 
 providing a map to the individual; and,    selecting a location on the map which corresponds to the designated location.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises: 
 determining that the actual location substantially matches the designated location when the actual location is within a set range of the designated location.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises: 
 adjusting a spatial resolution of the designated location.    
     
     
         17 . A method of providing a location-based reminder for a scheduled task on a portable electronic device carried by an individual, said method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) designating, on the device, a location in which the scheduled task is to be carried out by the individual;    (b) obtaining an actual location of the device carried by the individual;    (c) comparing the actual location to the designated location;    (d) determining if the actual location substantially matches the designated location; and,    (e) triggering a reminder on the device when the actual location substantially matches the designated location.    
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises: 
 (f) providing, via the device, at least one of an audible, visual or tactile indication to the individual that the reminder has been triggered.    
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein step (b) is carried out via a GPS receiver in communication with the device.